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April 24, 2025 23:24
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Transmit File Transfer Cheatsheet

A quick reference guide for Panic's Transmit, covering essential keyboard shortcuts, file operations, browsing, sync features, and useful tips for efficient file transfer workflows.

Basics & Navigation

Connecting & Disconnecting

Add New Server

Click the ‘+’ button in the toolbar or File > New Server

Connect to Server

Select server from Favorites list and press Enter, or use File > Connect to Server

Disconnect from Server

File > Disconnect

Edit Server Favorite

Select favorite, press Cmd + E or right-click > Edit

Duplicate Server Favorite

Select favorite, press Cmd + D or right-click > Duplicate

Delete Server Favorite

Select favorite, press Cmd + Delete or right-click > Delete

Quick Connect (Go to URL)

Cmd + K

Switch between server connections

Cmd + [ / Cmd + ]

File Browsing & Navigation

Go up one directory (Local/Remote)

Cmd + Up Arrow

Go to Home directory (Local/Remote)

Shift + Cmd + H

Go to Root directory (Local/Remote)

Shift + Cmd + R

Go to Path…

Shift + Cmd + G

Refresh directory listing

Cmd + R

Show hidden files

Cmd + Shift + .

Show/Hide sidebar

Cmd + 0

Show/Hide transfers window

Cmd + T

Focus Local pane

Cmd + Option + L

Focus Remote pane

Cmd + Option + R

Basic File Operations

Upload selected items

Select items in Local pane, press Cmd + Up Arrow (towards remote)

Download selected items

Select items in Remote pane, press Cmd + Down Arrow (towards local)

Copy selected items

Cmd + C

Paste copied items

Cmd + V (pastes into current directory of active pane)

Rename selected item

Press Enter or Return

Delete selected items

Press Delete or Cmd + Delete

New Folder

Shift + Cmd + N

New File

Cmd + N (creates in active pane)

Edit selected file (Local/Remote)

Select file, press Cmd + E or double-click (uses default editor)

Common Shortcuts

General Shortcuts

Cmd + W

Close current window

Cmd + Q

Quit Transmit

Cmd + ,

Open Preferences

Cmd + ?

Open Transmit Help

Spacebar

Quick Look selected item

Cmd + Option + 1

View as Icons

Cmd + Option + 2

View as List

Cmd + Option + 3

View as Columns

Cmd + F

Search in current directory

Transfer Shortcuts

Cmd + L

Limit Transfer Speed (toggle)

Cmd + T

Show/Hide Transfers window

Pause all transfers

Cmd + Option + P

Resume all transfers

Cmd + Option + R

Cancel selected transfer

Select in Transfers window, press Cmd + Delete

Retry selected transfer

Select in Transfers window, press Cmd + R

Clear completed transfers

Cmd + K in Transfers window

Transfer via Droplet

Drag files/folders onto a Droplet icon

View Transfer Log

Window > Show Transfer Log

Editing & Selection Shortcuts

Cmd + A

Select All

Shift + Click

Select a range of items

Cmd + Click

Add/Remove individual item from selection

Cmd + E

Edit selected file (opens in external editor)

Rename item

Enter or Return

Apply changes to file/folder permissions

Cmd + I (Get Info), then make changes

Make Alias (Local files)

Cmd + L (macOS Finder shortcut, works in Local pane)

Show original (Local files)

Cmd + R (macOS Finder shortcut, works in Local pane)

Copy Path

Right-click item > Copy Path

View & Window Shortcuts

Cmd + 1

Show Favorites

Cmd + 2

Show History

Cmd + 3

Show Panic Sync

Cmd + 4

Show Devices (Local)

Cmd + 0

Show/Hide Sidebar

Cmd + T

Show/Hide Transfers Window

Cmd + Shift + L

Show/Hide Location Bar

Cmd + Option + L

Focus Local Pane

Cmd + Option + R

Focus Remote Pane

Advanced Features

Sync

Mirroring: Automatically synchronize changes between local and remote folders.

  • Select local and remote folders.
  • Click the Mirror button in the toolbar.
  • Configure direction (Local to Remote, Remote to Local, Both).
  • Configure options (Newer items only, Delete original items, Skip hidden, etc.).
  • Click Sync.

Note: Be extremely cautious with Mirroring, especially with ‘Delete original items’. Always review changes before proceeding.

Comparison: Compare local and remote folders without syncing.

  • Select local and remote folders.
  • Click the Compare button in the toolbar.
  • Transmit will highlight differences (Newer, Older, Different Size, Missing).
  • Use this to manually identify items for transfer or deletion.

Sync Rules: Define rules to include or exclude specific files/folders during Mirroring.

  • Go to Transmit > Preferences > Sync Rules.
  • Add rules based on file name, path, modification date, etc.
  • Rules can be applied to specific favorites or globally.
  • Use this to exclude .git folders, temporary files, etc.

Droplets

What is a Droplet?

A small application icon you place on your desktop or dock. Drag files or folders onto it, and Transmit will automatically upload them to a predefined remote path using a specific server favorite. Great for frequently uploading to the same location.

How to Create a Droplet:

  1. Connect to the server and navigate to the desired remote directory.
  2. Go to File > Save as Droplet… (or press Cmd + Option + D).
  3. Choose a name and location for the Droplet file (e.g., your Desktop).
  4. Select the Server Favorite and the Remote Path.
  5. Optionally, configure post-transfer actions (e.g., copy URL).
  6. Click Save.

How to Use a Droplet:

  1. Locate the .transmit file (the Droplet icon).
  2. Drag the files or folders you want to upload onto the Droplet icon.
  3. Transmit will open (or come to the foreground), connect to the server, and upload the items to the specified remote path.
  4. A transfer window will show progress.

Editing a Droplet:

  • Droplets are saved .transmit files.
  • Right-click the Droplet file > Get Info (Cmd + I).
  • You can change the name and icon like any other macOS file.
  • To change server details or path, you must recreate the Droplet.

Troubleshooting Droplets:

  • Ensure the Server Favorite used by the Droplet is still valid and has the correct credentials.
  • Check that the remote path specified in the Droplet still exists on the server.
  • Firewall issues might prevent the connection.
  • Transmit must be installed and accessible.

Advanced Droplet Options:

When creating a Droplet, you can set options like:

  • Overwrite files if they exist
  • Resume broken transfers
  • Set permissions after upload
  • Copy URL after upload (especially useful for web servers)

Alternative Droplet Location:

Instead of the Desktop, you can place Droplets in your Dock or a folder in your home directory (~/Applications or ~/Desktop).

Panic Sync

What is Panic Sync?

A free, secure service provided by Panic to synchronize your Transmit favorites (server connections) and other Panic app data across multiple Macs.

  • Keeps all your server connection details up-to-date on all your computers.
  • Encrypted end-to-end, Panic cannot read your data.
  • Requires a free Panic Sync account.

How to Set up Panic Sync:

  1. Go to Transmit > Preferences > Panic Sync.
  2. Click Sign In or Create Account.
  3. Follow the prompts to create a new account or log in.
  4. Choose which data to sync (Transmit favorites, history, etc.).
  5. Repeat on other Macs you want to sync with the same account.

Managing Sync:

  • Go to Transmit > Preferences > Panic Sync.
  • See sync status (Last Synced, etc.).
  • Manually trigger a sync.
  • View devices connected to your account.
  • Sign out of Panic Sync.

Benefits:

  • Effortlessly keep server lists identical across machines.
  • Backup of your server favorites.
  • Simplifies setup on new computers.

Important Notes:

  • Syncing only includes server favorites, not passwords if stored in macOS Keychain (which is recommended).
  • Sync is automatic in the background but can be manually triggered.
  • Requires an internet connection for syncing.

Protocols Supported

FTP

File Transfer Protocol (standard, often insecure)

SFTP

SSH File Transfer Protocol (secure, uses SSH)

WebDAV

Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (extension of HTTP)

WebDAV HTTPS

Secure WebDAV

S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service

Backblaze B2

Backblaze Cloud Storage

Google Drive

Google’s cloud storage

Microsoft Azure Blob Storage

Microsoft’s cloud object storage

Rackspace Cloud Files

Rackspace’s cloud object storage

Tips and Tricks

Streamlining Workflow

Use Drag and Drop: The most intuitive way to transfer. Drag from one pane to the other, or drag files from Finder onto a Transmit window or Droplet.

Save Passwords in Keychain: For security and convenience, let macOS Keychain remember your server passwords. Transmit integrates seamlessly with it.

Configure Default Local Folder: In Preferences > General, set your ‘Default Local Folder’ to a frequently used directory to save navigation time upon launch.

Batch Renaming: Select multiple files/folders, right-click > Rename Items. Transmit offers powerful batch renaming options (Add text, Replace text, Number sequence, etc.).

Quickly Change Permissions: Select an item, press Cmd + I (Get Info). The permissions pane allows graphical editing of owner, group, and world read/write/execute permissions.

Set Default Permissions: In Server Favorites settings, you can define default permissions to be applied to files and folders upon upload.

Use Terminal Integration: Right-click in a pane > Services > New Terminal at Folder. Quickly open a Terminal window pointed at the current local or remote directory (for SFTP/SSH connections).

Preview Files with Quick Look: Select a file and press Spacebar to quickly preview its content without downloading or opening an external editor.

Copy HTTP/S URL: For files uploaded to a web server, right-click the file > Copy URL > HTTP/HTTPS URL. Requires the server favorite to have a ‘Web Server URL’ configured.

Customizing Transmit

Toolbar Customization: Right-click the toolbar > Customize Toolbar… Drag and drop icons to add, remove, or rearrange buttons for features you use most often.

Preferences Settings: Explore Transmit > Preferences (Cmd + ,).

  • General: Default folders, quitting behavior.
  • Transfers: Rules for existing files, transfer speed limits, number of connections.
  • Rules: Define file/folder rules for transfers, syncing, and editing.
  • Editor: Choose your external editor and upload/download behavior.
  • Advanced: Enable/disable features like bonjour, file locking, etc.
  • Panic Sync: Manage account and sync settings.

External Editor Integration: Set up your preferred code editor or text editor in Preferences > Editor. You can configure Transmit to upload files automatically when saved in the external editor.

File & Folder Rules: In Preferences > Rules, create rules to automatically perform actions based on file type or name, like opening .txt files in a specific editor or excluding .DS_Store files from uploads.

Appearance: Transmit follows macOS appearance settings (Light/Dark Mode).

Column View Customization: In List or Column view, right-click the header row to choose which columns are displayed (Size, Date Modified, Permissions, Owner, Group, etc.). Drag headers to reorder columns.

Custom Default Server: Set a specific server favorite to connect to automatically when Transmit launches in Preferences > General.

Custom Ports: When adding a server favorite, you can specify a non-standard port for the connection if required by the server.

Useful Hidden Features

File Locking (SFTP only): Transmit can detect if another user is editing a file via SFTP and prevent simultaneous edits to avoid conflicts. Enable in Preferences > Advanced.

Local to Local Transfers: Transmit isn’t just for remote servers! You can open two local panes (Cmd + Option + L to focus local, then connect to This Mac favorite) and use Transmit to move/copy files between local folders using its interface and rules.

Bonjour Support: If servers on your local network are broadcasting via Bonjour, they may appear automatically under ‘Nearby’ in the sidebar.

Inspector Window: Select an item and press Cmd + I to open the Inspector (Get Info) window. Provides detailed information, permissions, dates, and ability to change them remotely (if protocol supports).

Create Web Location URL: Right-click a file on a web server > Copy URL > Web Location URL. This copies a transmit:// URL that, when opened, will connect to that specific server and show that file in Transmit.

Service Menu Integration: Right-click files in Finder to send them to Transmit (if enabled in macOS System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services).

Context Menu Options: Right-click files or folders in either pane to reveal a wealth of options like Rename, Duplicate, Delete, Get Info, Copy Path, Open, Edit, etc.

Advanced Filtering: Use the search bar (Cmd + F) in a directory. Click the magnifying glass icon to reveal filter options (Kind, Date, Size, etc.) beyond just filename matching.

History: The History sidebar (Cmd + 2) shows recent connections and accessed folders, allowing quick return trips.